Laundry water distribution system



Dec. 24, 1957 B. E. MUSTEE LAUNDRY WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM Filed April28, 1955 IN V EN TOR. BERNARD E. MUSTEE a g 2,817,098 C Patented Dec.24, 1957 LAUNDRY WATER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM Bernard E. Mustee, Cleveland,Ohio, assignor to E. L. Mustee & Sons, Inc.

Application April 28, 1955, Serial No. 504,451

2 Claims. (Cl. 4-195) This invention relates to laundry devices ingeneral, and relates more specifically to an improved laundry tub devicefor association with a washing machine, and means with the tub forstorage and disposal of water from the washing machine.

The common laundry tub has been a double cast cement structure of largesize and unattractive lines for many years. More recently there has beena tendency to improve the usefulness of such laundry appliances, as wellas their appearance. One such improvement has been the provision of asingle tub unit with a tubular drain control pipe used as a combinedstopper and overflow for water depth control.

Used with a modern automatic washing machine of the type having awater-saving feature, one hose from the washer is extended into the tubproper and the other hose is placed into the top of the tube. The firsthot, soapy water is thus saved for reuse and all rinse water is disposedof directly into the drain.

By extending the water hoses from the washer to the tub, the provisionof a separate drain, or special lines from the washer, is avoided. Ifthe suds-saver feature is of interest, the tub must be placed near thewasher and a drain must be provided for the tub. Since one hose isextended to the tub for suds-saving, a separate drain system is avoidedby using the system provided for the tub. However, hoses draped over theedge of a laundry tub are neither attractive nor handy.

Therefore, an object of this invention is to provide a laundry tubdevice having a single water storage unit adapted to receive both wastewater and water to be saved, and to direct the waste water to the wasteoutlet of the tub device.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved water inletsystem and water directing system in a laundry tub device to replace theuse of hoses draped over and into an open top tub.

Other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had byreferring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional View through a device embodying theprinciples of this invention, together with a sectional view of aportion of a laundry tub device;

Figure 2 is a front view from within the tub of the fixture only withoutthe hoses as shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a rear view from the back of the tub of the fixture onlywithout the hoses as shown in Figure 1; and,

Figure 4 is a top view of the fixture only.

The drawing illustrates a fragment of a modern type laundry tub devicewhich may be made of sheet metal or reinforced plastic. The device it)has a water container portion 11 defined by side and bottom Wallsincluding a back wall 12. Such device is provided with a conventionalfaucet device, which is not shown, for the purpose of admitting freshhot and cold water either singularly or mixed. An outlet 15 at thebottom of the water container 11 allows water to escape to a suitabledrain.

Modern washing machine devices are provided with pumps to remove thewater from the machine. Usually the machines are provided with flexiblehoses to extend to a drain. Quite often the drain is a distance from thewashing machine or is a closed type of drain connected to the laundrytub. Thus separate drain facilities are required for the washingmachine, or, as is more usually done, the hose is provided with a hookedend to hang over the side of the laundry tub. The waste water then runsinto the water container 11 and out through the outlet 15 into the drainfacilities provided for the laundry tub. Placing the hose on the floorto allow water to run to a drain produces an undesirable dampnesscondition, and hanging of the hose over the side of the laundry tub isquite often a nuisance or, at least, is quite unsightly. The inventionset forth in companion application Serial No. 459,951 (since maturedinto Patent No. 2,780,241, dated February 5, 1957), provides for afixture extending through the back wall of the tub and having a flexiblespout thereon for selectively positioning the spout into a drainextension or not, as desired. The drawing in that case furthermoreillustrates a second similar type of fitting with the hose extending tothe bottom of the tub. The second fitting is employed in laundry tubsassociated with the type of washing machine having the feature ofseparating the original hot, soapy water from the later rinse waters.Thus the original water may be directed into the tub through thisseparate fitting and the later rinse waters may be directed to the drainextension through the first fitting. This device provides hidden hoselocations to avoid the necessity of hanging hoses over the side of thetub. However, two fittings are required in two separate locations, andengagement of the waste water nozzle into the drain extension isrequired in each instance.

According to the present invention which is believed to be a speciesimprovement of the invention set forth in Patent No. 2,780,241, a singlefixture 20 is provided in a central location substantially over thedrain outlet 15. In the drawing of this case the fixture 20 isillustrated as a single piece casting having a first water passageway 21therethrough having a spout 22 inside of the tub 10 and a hoseattachment end 23 exterior of the tub behind the back wall 12. A secondwater passageway 24 is provided with a spout 25 and a hose attachment26. When constructed in the preferred embodiment as illustrated, thewater passageways 21 and 24 are generally U-shaped because of thedownward extension of the spout and hose connecting portions, and thesecond water passageway U-shape is nested within the first waterpassageway U-shape. Thus the spout 22 extends further into the watercontainer 11 and substantially directly over the drain outlet 15,whereas the spout 25 is located closer to the back wall 12.

For convenience in installing the fixture 20 through an opening providedin the back wall 12, the fixture 20 has a flange 27 which may beattached to the back wall 12 by means of suitable bolts and nuts 28.

In order to illustrate the device completely, sections of two hoses 29and 30 are shown frictionally engaged to the hose attachment portions 23and 26 respectively of the fixture 20. A hose section 32 extends fromthe spout 25 of water passageway 24 to a position near the bottom of thewater container 11.

The tub device 10 is not provided with an overflow in this invention,but rather a tubular drain extension device 31 is adapted to engage intothe drain outlet 15 and be supported in an upright position by theinterengagement of the tube 31 into the outlet 15. Such interfitting requires an axial movement of the tube 31. It is desired to have the tube31 relatively deep in order to provide maximum storage of water comingthrough the hose 32 from the washing machine hose 30. Therefor somemeans is provided to allow the tube 31 to be positioned away from thespout 22 during installation and removal of the tube 31 and when it isdesired to direct water from the spout 22 into the tub while the tube 31is interfitted as a stopper. Although resilient hose structures may beemployed, it is believed preferable to use a kinked metal tube asillustrated in Figure 1 of the drawing. Thus rotation of the tube 31Will position the top of the tube 31 away from fixture 20 and permitwater to flow from the spout 22 into the tub and also permit the tube 31to be readily installed or removed from the drain outlet 15. Afterengagement into the outlet 15, tube 31 may be retated to a positionadapted to receive a flow of fluid coming from the spout 22.

The present invention is an auxiliary device employed with previousinventions showing separation of water issuing from a washing machine.Such washing machine devices are now well known. However, once themachine has separated the original water from the rinse water, there hasbeen no provision made for adequate handling of such waters. Theinventor of this fixture 20 also originated the use of tube extensiondevices such as the tube 31 in conjunction with modern laundry tubdevices, and such tube extension devices are now also well known in thelaundry field. Even this tube device only served the purpose of reducingthe need for two tubs and permitting the hoses to both extend into onelaundry tub. In such event the hose 30 from the washing machine ismerely hooked over the side of the tub and the hose 29 is extendeddirectly into the tube 31. Such an arrangement eliminates the need fortwo separate laundry tubs such as the double cement type of tub whichhas heretofore been standard in all laundries, but does not prevent theunsightly appearance of exposed tubes from the washing machine hangingover the side of the tub, nor does it provide for a tub device which canbe completely closed by a lid. Such complete enclosure is desirable toprovide work space in the laundry adjacent the washing machine. With thepresent invention a complete cover may be provided for the tub 10. If awashing machine which does not provide for separation of the waters isemployed with the fixture 20, then soaking and other operations can becarried on within the water container 11 while other washing operationstake place, or in the event that the machine is provided with theseparation features, then the tub device is employed as a water storageand separating chamber while the top serves as a Work space counter. Theinvention therefore resides within the laundry device having theimproved fixture therein without regard to the provision of anyparticular type of associated laundry equipment.

Although the invention has been described in its preferred form with acertain degree of particularity, it is understood that the presentdisclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example,and that numerous changes in the details of construction and thecombination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafterclaimed.

I claim:

1. A water selecting and storage device, comprising, a water storage tubdefined by front and back walls, side walls, and a bottom wall with adrain outlet, 21 fixture defining a first and second Water passagewaytherethrough, said fixture having a first spout portion from said firstpassageway and a first hose attachment portion inlet into said firstpassageway, a second spout portion from said second passageway and asecond hose attachment portion inlet into said second passageway, saidfixture being carried through one of said Walls with the first andsecond spout portions positioned generally over said drain outlet andwith the hose attachment portions on the exterior of said one wall, arigid elongated overflow tube having an offset axis and beinginterfittable into said drain outlet to serve as a stopper therefor,said tube being of predetermined etfective length less than the heightof the position of said first spout portion when the tube is fitted intosaid drain outlet, said tube having first and second spaced endopenings, the first of said openings being in communication with saiddrain outlet when the tube is interfitted as a stopper, and said tubebeing rotatable about the axis of the outlet, said second end openingtranscribing at least a segment of an annulus upon such rotation, oneposition of said second end opening being in a relative position toreceive fluid discharged from said first spout portion, the otherpositions of said second end being spaced to prevent the receipt offluid, whereby to provide a device in which the tube may be selectivelypositioned to permit water to be selectively directed from said firstspout portion into said tube or into said water tub.

2. A water selecting and storage device, comprising, a water storage tubhaving a bottom drain outlet, a fixture defining a water passagewaythrough a wall of said tub, said fixture having a fixed spout portionwith an outlet over said drain outlet, said fixture having a hoseattachment portion on the exterior of the tub to receive a dischargehose from a washer, a rigid overflow tube having an offset axis andbeing removably seatable into said drain outlet to serve as a stoppertherefor, said tube standing erect and being of predetermined elfectivelength less than the height of the position of said spout portion whenthe tube is fitted into said drain outlet, said tube being rotatable insaid drain outlet between a first position wherein the upper end isbelow said fixed spout and a second position removed from the fixedspout, said tube and spout portion thereby being adapted to direct fluidfrom said spout portion into said tube in said first tube position fordelivery to said drain outlet without collecting in said tub, said tubeand spout portion thereby being adapted to direct fluid from said spoutportion into said water storage tub in said second tube position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS816,559 Connolly Apr. 3, 1906 963,101 Winant July 5, 1910 1,205,508Bodell Nov. 21, 1916 1,289,173 Hoffman Dec. 31, 1918 1,762,619 FlemingJune 10, 1930 2,560,954 Jackson July 17, 1951 2,642,085 Geldhof et alJune 16, 1953 2,780,241 Mustee Feb. 5, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 224,959Great Britain Nov. 24, 1924 OTHER REFERENCES Sears Roebuck CatalogSpring& Summer 1954, design (page 1028).

